* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Frank James LampardOBE (born 20 June 1978) is an English former professional footballer and children's writer.[4] He is the all-time leading goalscorer for Chelsea, where he played for 13 years,[5] and is considered by a number of journalists and football experts to be one of the greatest midfielders of his generation,[6][7][8] in addition to being regarded as Chelsea's greatest ever player by some Chelsea players, such as previous record goal-scorer Bobby Tambling and long-term teammate John Terry.[9][10]

Lampard began his career at West Ham United, for whom his father Frank Lampard Sr. had also played. He secured a place in the first team by the 1997-98 season, and the following year helped the team finish fifth in the Premier League, their highest-ever Premier League placing. In 2001, he moved to rival London club Chelsea for £11 million. In 2014, he was released by Chelsea after 13 years of service. Lampard then joined New York City FC on a two-year deal, in preparation for the club's Major League Soccer (MLS) debut in 2015, as a free transfer,[11] but would play for Manchester City in the meantime. On 31 December 2014, however, BBC Sport's David Ornstein revealed Lampard was under contract to Manchester City and not New York City as previously claimed by both clubs.[5]

From his debut, Lampard was ever-present in the Chelsea first team and made 164 consecutive Premier League appearances, a record for an outfield player.[12] He established himself as a prolific scorer at the west London club and was a key part of the sides which won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2004-05 and 2005-06 and a domestic cup double in 2007. He signed a new contract in 2008, becoming the highest-paid Premier League footballer at that time,[13] and scored in his first Champions League Final that year. He won a second FA Cup winners' medal in 2009, scoring the winning goal in the final. In the 2009-10 season, Lampard helped Chelsea secure their first league and FA Cup Double, and also had his most prolific season with the club, scoring 22 league goals and 17 league assists.[14] In 2012, Lampard captained Chelsea to their first UEFA Champions League success and a year later to their first UEFA Europa League title.[15] He was released by the club after the 2013-14 season.[16][17]

Internationally, Lampard was capped 106 times by England since his debut in October 1999, and scored 29 international goals. He was voted England Player of the Year for two consecutive years in 2004 and 2005. He played in Euro 2004, where he was named in the team of the tournament after scoring three goals in four games. He was top scorer for England in their 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign with five goals, and played at three World Cups. He is England's most prolific penalty taker with nine goals, surpassing the previous record holders, Ron Flowers and Alan Shearer.

Lampard served as a team captain on the ITV sport panel show Play to the Whistle from 2015 until 2017. He has been married to television presenter Christine Lampard (née Bleakley) since December 2015.

Club career

West Ham United

Lampard began his career at West Ham United, his father's former club, joining the youth team in 1994, his schoolboy hero being West Ham striker, Frank McAvennie.[24] Lampard joined West Ham when his father was the assistant coach, entering as an apprentice in the youth team in 1994 and signing a professional contract the following year. He went on loan to Second DivisionSwansea City in October 1995, debuting in his team's victory 2-0 over Bradford City and scoring his first career goal in a match against Brighton & Hove Albion. Lampard played nine times for Swansea before returning to West Ham in January 1996.

1996-97

The following season Lampard made his first start for West Ham, on 17 August 1996, in a 2-0 away defeat to Arsenal before being substituted for Robbie Slater.[26][27] Lampard's season ended on 15 March 1997 when he sustained a broken leg during an away, 0-0 draw, against Aston Villa. Carried from the pitch on a stretcher, his 31st-minute substitute was Rio Ferdinand. The game also saw his first booking as a West Ham player.[26][28][29] Lampard claims to have been jeered from the pitch by West Ham United supporters, an action which made him consider leaving football.[29] He had made 16 appearances in all competitions for The Hammers.[26]

1997-98

From this season Lampard took the number 18 squad number having previously held the number 26 spot.[26] On the first day of the 1997-98 season, West Ham opened their fixtures with an away game against Barnsley who were playing in the top tier of English football for the first time in 110 years. Lampard came on as a 76th-minute substitute for Eyal Berkovic. Barely a minute later he scored what was the winning goal in a 2-1 win for The Hammers having received the ball from Michael Hughes and flicking it past Barnsley goalkeeper David Watson.[30] The season also saw his first hat-trick. On 19 November 1997, West Ham played Walsall in a League Cup, fourth-round game. Lampard's three goals plus another from John Hartson were enough to beat Walsall who responded via a goal from Andy Watson.[31] Lampard made 42 appearances for the 1997-98 season in all competitions scoring nine goals.[26]

1999-2000

Before the start of the season Lampard signed an extension to his contract which would have kept him with the club until 2005.[34] Having qualified for the Intertoto Cup, West Ham's season started early, in July 1999. On 24 July 1999, Lampard scored his first goal in European football in a 1-1 away draw with Finnish side Jokerit.[35] Another goal in the semi-final against Heerenveen[34] put West Ham into the final against Metz.[26] Despite losing the first leg 1-0 in London, West Ham won 3-1 in France on 24 August 1999 with goals from Trevor Sinclair, Paulo Wanchope and Lampard.[36] Winning the competition saw West Ham in the 1999-2000 UEFA Cup. Lampard scored his first goal in this competition on 16 September 1999, in a 3-0 home win against Osijek, a tie which they won 6-1 on aggregate.[37]

This season also saw West Ham beat Bradford City 5-4 at Upton Park in February 2000. The game received notoriety for Lampard's fight over the ball with Paolo Di Canio. With West Ham 4-2 down they gained a penalty. Lampard was West Ham's regular penalty taker. Di Canio, however, wanted to take the kick and the two tussled over the ball with Di Canio winning and scoring to make the game 4-3 to West Ham.[38][39] In the 1999-2000, season he finished as the club's third top scorer, behind Di Canio and Paulo Wanchope, with a total of 14 goals.[40]

2000-01

In the 2000-01 season, West Ham's form suffered. They spent most of the season in the bottom half of the Premier League table.[41] From fifth place the previous season they finished 15th. Despite this Lampard scored 9 goals in 37 games behind only Frédéric Kanouté and Di Canio.[41] In May 2001, his uncle Harry Redknapp left the club by mutual consent after seven years in the role.[42] His father Frank also left the club and Lampard, under the pressure of being known as "Frank Lampard's son" and the poor treatment of his father by West Ham, decided to move to another club.[43] He left West Ham for Chelsea for £11 million in June 2001, the Hammers having previously declined a £15 million joint bid from Aston Villa for Lampard and Frédéric Kanouté.[44]

Chelsea

2001-04

Lampard in 2004

Lampard's Premier League debut with Chelsea came on 19 August 2001 in a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United, while his first red card came in a match against Tottenham Hotspur on 16 September 2001.

Lampard appeared in all of Chelsea's league matches and scored eight goals in the 2001-02 season. He netted the match-winner in Chelsea's 2002-03 season-opener against Charlton Athletic.

2004-05

Lampard played in all 38 Premier League matches for the third consecutive season in 2004-05. He finished with 13 goals (19 in all competitions), in addition to leading the league in assists with 16.[47]

In August 2004, he scored the winning goal against Southampton in the Premier League,[48] and continued scoring important goals as he scored both in a 2-0 win against Tottenham.[49] In March 2005 he scored a long-range goal from 30 yards against Crystal Palace in the Premier League which Chelsea won 4-1. Lampard continued his season strongly, and his brilliant performances for Chelsea in the Premier League and Champions League further increased his reputation as one of the best midfielders in the world. In the 2004-05 Champions League, he scored one of the goals in Chelsea's famous 4-2 win over Barcelona, helping Chelsea to progress to the quarter-finals.[50] In the quarter-finals, he scored three goals in two legs against Bayern Munich as Chelsea won 6-5 on aggregate. His second goal in the first leg was a spectacular one; he controlled Makélélé's cross with his chest then turned and swivelled and sent the ball inside the far post with a left-foot half volley.[51]

In April 2005, Lampard scored both goals against Bolton Wanderers in a 2-0 win which was the Premier League title-winning match for Chelsea, which also won the first major trophy of his career as Chelsea bagged their first top-flight title in 50 years, by a 12-point margin. He was named as Barclays Player of the Season for 2004-05.[52] Though Chelsea were eliminated in the Champions Leaguesemi-finals by league rivals Liverpool, they took home the Football League Cup, in which Lampard scored twice in six matches, which included the opening goal against Manchester United in the League Cup semi-final, which Chelsea won 2-1. He landed his first personal award by being named the 2005 Footballer of the Year.[53]

2005-06

Lampard in 2005

Lampard netted a career-high 16 league goals in 2005-06. In September 2005 he was selected as a member of the inaugural World XI.[54] He finished as runner-up to Ronaldinho for both the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Player of the Year awards.[55][56] His record of consecutive Premier League appearances ended at 164 (five better than previous record-holder David James) on 28 December 2005, when he sat out a match against Manchester City due to illness.[57] Lampard scored 12 goals in his first four months of the 2005-06 season. He scored twice in three separate matches from August to November, including both in a 2-1 win over Aston Villa, making Chelsea the first team to win their first seven matches in the Premier League.[58] He scored twice again, this time against Blackburn Rovers in a 4-2 win, which included a free-kick from 25 yards. After the match, manager José Mourinho hailed Lampard as the "best player in the world". Chelsea eventually won the Premier League for the second time, in which Lampard was Chelsea's topscorer with 16 league goals. In the Champions League group stages, he scored a free-kick against Anderlecht. Chelsea proggresed to the first knock-out round to face Barcelona, with Lampard scoring a goal in the second leg, but Chelsea were eliminated 3-2 on aggregate.

2006-07

Lampard warming up for Chelsea

Due to a back injury sustained by John Terry, Lampard spent much of the 2006-07 campaign as team captain in his absence. He enjoyed a streak of seven goals in eight games. He scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Fulham and scored his 77th goal for Chelsea from a long range strike in a 3-2 win over Everton on 17 December, overtaking Dennis Wise as Chelsea's highest scoring midfielder.[59] Then in the UEFA Champions League group stages he scored a goal from an extremely tight angle against Barcelona, at the Camp Nou, the match ended 2-2. Lampard finished with 21 goals in all competitions, including a career-high six FA Cup goals. He scored his first Chelsea hat-trick in the third-round tie against Macclesfield Town on 6 January 2007. He scored two goals to help Chelsea to a quarter-final draw with Tottenham Hotspur after having trailed 3-1, and he was named the FA Cup player-of-the-round for his performance.[60] He gave the assist to Didier Drogba in the 2007 FA Cup Final which was the winning goal in extra-time, as Chelsea won it 1-0. In a post-match interview following Chelsea's FA Cup Final victory over Manchester United, Lampard said he wanted to stay at the club "forever".[61]

2007-08

Lampard's 2007-08 season was hampered by injury. He managed to play 40 matches, 24 of them in the Premier League. This was the fewest number of league games he had played in a season since 1996-97. On 16 February 2008, Lampard became the eighth Chelsea player to score 100 goals for the club in a 3-1 FA Cup fifth-round win over Huddersfield Town.[62] After the final whistle, Lampard removed his jersey and flashed a T-shirt to the Chelsea fans with "100 Not Out, They Are All For You, Thanks" printed across the front.[63] On 12 March 2008, Lampard scored four goals in a 6-1 rout of Derby County. Then in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-final, he scored the winning goal against Fenerbahçe in the 87th minute as Chelsea won 3-2 on aggregate.

On 30 April, Lampard, grieving the loss of his mother a week earlier, decided to play in the second leg of Chelsea's Champions League semi-final against Liverpool, who were eliminated on 4-3 aggregate as he took an emotional penalty in the 98th minute of extra-time, which he scored confidently. In the final against Manchester United, he scored an equalising goal in the 45th minute, as Michael Essien's deflected shot found him as he went to the box with his trade-mark late run, and he scored with a left foot finish. The match ended 1-1 after extra-time and Chelsea eventually lost 6-5 on penalties. He was later named UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year.

2008-09

Lampard playing for Chelsea in 2008

On 13 August 2008, Lampard signed a new five-year contract with Chelsea worth £39.2 million, making him the highest-paid Premier League player.[13][64] He started the 2008-09 season by scoring five goals in his first eleven league matches. He scored the 150th goal of his club career with a goal against Manchester City in the Premier League. In October 2008, in the Premier League he scored a chipped goal against Hull City with his left foot; he unleashed a chip from 20 yards that curled and swerved and fooled the goalkeeper as it went into the net. FIFA World Cup-winning coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said after the game, "It was the best goal I have seen, my vote for World Player of the year award will go to him, only a player with his intelligence could have done that."[65] Lampard scored his hundredth career Premier League goal in a 5-0 victory over Sunderland on 2 November.[66] Eighteen of Lampard's hundred goals were penalties.[67] He was named Premier League Player of the Month for the third time in his career in October.[68]

After a streak of matches without scoring, Lampard scored three goals in two games, the first being against West Bromwich Albion and the latter two against Fulham.[69][70] On 17 January 2009, he made his 400th Chelsea appearance against Stoke City, scoring a stoppage time winner. He again scored a stoppage time winner, this time against Wigan Athletic. Then in the fourth round of the FA Cup, he scored a free-kick from 35 yards against Ipswich Town. He scored twice against Liverpool in the second-leg quarter finals of the Champions League which ended 4-4, but Chelsea won 7-5 on aggregate. Then he provided two assists in the next game against Arsenal in FA Cup semi-finals which Chelsea won 2-1. Lampard finished the season with 20 goals and 19 assists.[] Lampard's 20th goal of the season was the winning goal in the FA Cup Final against Everton, with a left-foot shot from long-range. He repeated the corner flag celebration his father had done after scoring the winning goal in the 1979-80 FA Cup semi-final second leg against Everton. It was the fourth consecutive season that he scored 20 or more goals.[] He was named later named Chelsea's Player of the Year for the third time.

2009-10

Lampard started the 2009-10 season by scoring against Manchester United, in the 2009 Community Shield, in the 72nd minute. The match ended 2-2, and Lampard scored in its penalty shootout which they won 4-1. He scored his 133rd goal for Chelsea in a Champions League match against Atlético Madrid on 21 October 2009, which moved him up to fifth among the club's all-time goalscorers. He had been struggling to score the number of goals he had in the past seasons, however this soon changed as he scored two goals in the 5-0 defeat of Blackburn on 24 October 2009. On 30 October, he was nominated for the FIFA World Player of the Year award for the sixth-straight year.[71]

On 16 December, Lampard scored a crucial 79th minute winning goal against Portsmouth and on 20 December, Lampard scored a penalty against his former club West Ham in a 1-1 draw, however he had to take his spot-kick three times due to players running into the box too early, he nonetheless scored all three. In Chelsea's 7-2 thrashing of Sunderland in January 2010, Lampard scored twice to add to his league tally. On 27 January 2010, Lampard again scored two goals, in Chelsea's 3-0 win over Birmingham City in the Premier League. On 27 February, Lampard yet again scored twice against Manchester City but despite his contribution Chelsea went on to lose the game 4-2 at home, for the first time in 38 games.

Lampard, for the second time in his career, hit four goals in one match against Aston Villa on 27 March 2010 to bring his goal tally past 20, for the fifth-consecutive season. This also brought him his 151st Chelsea goal, and it put him as the club's third highest scorer ever, overtaking Peter Osgood's record of 150. Lampard scored in a 3-0 win, again over Aston Villa, in the 2010 FA Cup semi-final.[72] Lampard reached 20 Premier League goals for the first time when he scored twice against Stoke City in Chelsea's 7-0 win on 25 April 2010. This milestone also represented the first time he had hit 25 in all competitions in a season. On 2 May, Lampard scored against Liverpool in the second last game of the season to give Chelsea a vital three points that took them to the top of the league by a single point. He scored one and assisted two other goals in the final match of the season where Chelsea thrashed Wigan Athletic 8-0 at Stamford Bridge to win the 2009-10 Premier League title and give him a remarkable 27 goals in the season.[73] Lampard ended his season lifting the 2010 FA Cup as Chelsea beat Portsmouth 1-0 in the final.

2010-11

The 2010-11 season began brightly for Lampard, being an integral part of Chelsea's system as usual. After a match against Stoke in August 2010, which Chelsea won 2-0, it was revealed that Lampard was suffering from a hernia, which was successfully operated on. However, he suffered fresh injuries during training in mid-November,[74] and remained sidelined for a further three weeks. Manager Carlo Ancelotti said that he injured his abductor muscle in his leg in training on 11 November, and would not be fit until December. He finally made his comeback after four months out injured against Tottenham on 12 December, as a substitute in the 75th minute.[75] Lampard scored a penalty in the 3-3 draw between Chelsea and Aston Villa on 2 January 2011,[76] the first after returning from injury. On 9 January, Lampard scored twice and gave one assist in a 7-0 win against Ipswich Town in the FA Cup reaching the landmark of 201 career club goals.

On 1 February, Lampard scored a penalty against Sunderland, then produced an assist, with Chelsea ending up winning the game 4-2.[77] Lampard then assisted for Nicolas Anelka in Chelsea's 2-0 victory gainst Copenhagen, in the Round of 16 match in the Champions League. On 1 March, Lampard scored the winning goal in a crucial 2-1 victory over Manchester United, keeping Chelsea's Premier League title hopes alive.[78] Then in the next game, he scored two goals in Chelsea's 3-1 victory over Blackpool, and also contributed with an assist for John Terry to score.[79]

In April 2011, Lampard scored his 11th goal of the season in a 3-0 victory against former club West Ham.[80] Lampard scored again against Manchester United, but it proved to be only a consolation, as Chelsea lost 2-1 at Old Trafford, thus ending Chelsea's title hopes.[81]

After not featuring in Chelsea's 4-1 win against Swansea City on 24 September,[83] Lampard returned to the starting line-up for their Champions League group stage game against Valencia netting an important opening goal in their 1-1 draw.[84][85] Lampard continued his fine form by netting his fifth Chelsea hat-trick on 2 October, in a 5-1 thrashing of Bolton Wanderers.[86]

In the eleventh round of the Premier League, Lampard scored the only goal of the match against Blackburn Rovers with a diving header, giving Chelsea a win after two consecutive defeats.[87] After starting the game against Manchester City on the bench, Lampard came on in the second half to score the winning goal from the penalty spot in the 82nd minute.[88] Lampard again proved to be the match-winner again as he scored in the 89th minute against Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the match finishing 2-1 to Chelsea.[89]

On 25 February 2012, Lampard scored his tenth Premier League goal of the season in Chelsea's 3-0 win against Bolton, becoming the only player to score at least ten goals in nine consecutive seasons in the Premier League and his 149th all-time league goal.[90]

Eleven days after the sacking of manager André Villas-Boas, Chelsea hosted Napoli in the 2011-12 Champions League round of 16 second leg, trailing the Naples side 3-1 from the first leg. Lampard helped Chelsea make a remarkable comeback, assisting John Terry from a corner for the second goal and then equalising the aggregate score from the penalty spot with a powerful shot to the left of the goal. Branislav Ivanovi? sealed Chelsea's victory in extra-time.[91] In the second leg of the quarter-finals of the 2011-12 UEFA Champions League against Benfica, Lampard converted a crucial penalty to give Chelsea a 2-1 win at Stamford Bridge, and helping them advance with an aggregate score of 3-1.[92] He scored the 150th Premier League goal of his career against Fulham in a 1-1 draw on 9 April 2012. In the semi-final of the FA Cup Chelsea defeated Tottenham Hotspur 5-1, in a match that would be remembered for an infamous "goal that never was" awarded to Chelsea's Juan Mata. Lampard assisted Didier Drogba for the first goal, and also scored the fourth goal for the Blues from a free-kick 35 yards from goal.[93]

Lampard was pivotal in the semi-finals of the 2011-12 Champions League against the heavily favoured defending champions Barcelona. Bookmakers had Barcelona on the shortest odds to win a second consecutive Champions League title, and various commentators opined that Chelsea would have to produce their best two games of the season - and hope that Barca played their worst two - to upset the Catalan giants.[94] In the first leg at Stamford Bridge, Lampard stripped Lionel Messi off the ball then played a cross-field pass to Ramires, who set up Drogba for the only goal of the game, giving Chelsea a 1-0 advantage.[95] In the second leg at the Camp Nou, Lampard assumed the captaincy after Terry was sent off early in the game. Down 2-0 to Barça just before half-time, Lampard assisted Ramires' goal with a through-pass which levelled the aggregate score at 2-2 while putting Chelsea ahead on away goals.[96] Chelsea teammate Fernando Torres added another goal in stoppage time to give Chelsea a 3-2 victory overall and produce one of the greatest upsets in the history of European football.[97] This set up Chelsea's match with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena for the Champions League final.

In the 2012 FA Cup final, Lampard assisted Didier Drogba's winning goal in 2-1 win over Liverpool, the seventh FA Cup in Chelsea's history as well as the fourth of his career.[98] Lampard captained Chelsea in the 2012 Champions League final against Bayern Munich due to Terry's suspension. It was a match where Chelsea were considered to be the underdogs.[99] After finishing 1-1 in normal time, the game went to a penalty shootout with Lampard successfully converting his team's third spot-kick, helping Chelsea win 4-3 on penalties.[100] As Chelsea's captain for the match, Lampard lifted the trophy with club captain Terry.[101] Lampard ended the 2011-12 season as Chelsea's top scorer with 16 goals in all competitions, along with 10 assists.

2012-13

Lampard in 2012

Lampard missed Euro 2012 with a thigh injury,[102] but did play all of Chelsea's pre-season games, scoring against the MLS All-Stars[103] and Brighton and Hove Albion[104] In Chelsea's first game of the new Premier League campaign, Lampard converted a penalty won by Eden Hazard as Chelsea brushed aside Wigan 2-0. In Chelsea's second game of the season, three days later against newly promoted Reading, he again converted a penalty won by Hazard as Chelsea cruised to a 4-2 win.[105] On 6 October, he scored his third league goal of the season in a 4-1 win against Norwich City.[106] He marked his 500th appearance in the Premier League by scoring in an 8-0 win against Aston Villa on 23 December.[107] On 30 December 2012, Lampard scored a brace as Chelsea came from a goal down in the game against Everton to win 2-1.[108]

In the third round of the FA Cup, Lampard entered in the second half and scored a penalty in Chelsea's victory over Southampton.[109] On 6 January 2013, Lampard's agent Steve Kutner announced that Lampard would not be offered a new contract with Chelsea and would leave when his contract expired in June 2013.[110][111] On 12 January 2013, Lampard scored a penalty in the 4-0 win over Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.[112] This goal made Lampard Chelsea's second-highest goalscorer of all-time with 194 goals and moved him clear of Kerry Dixon and putting him eight goals behind Bobby Tambling in first.[113] He scored his 199th goal for Chelsea in a 4-0 FA Cup victory over Brentford on 17 February, becoming Chelsea's all-time leading FA Cup goalscorer with 26 goals. Lampard's 200th Chelsea goal came against his former club West Ham on 17 March 2013, heading home an Eden Hazard cross.[114]

Lampard equalled Bobby Tambling's record with a long-range goal into the top left corner from just outside the box in the 61st minute in a league match against Aston Villa on 11 May. Then, later on in the 88th minute, he scored a second goal, breaking the record and securing a 2-1 victory for Chelsea.[115] In the UEFA Europa League final on 15 May, Lampard captained the London club to a 2-1 victory over Benfica, securing the 11th major trophy of the Roman Abramovich era.[116]

On 16 May 2013, Lampard signed a one-year extension to his contract with Chelsea, stating "I always maintained the dream was to stay at Chelsea."[117][118]

2013-14

On the opening day of the 2013-14 Premier League season, Lampard scored a free-kick in a 2-0 win against newly promoted Hull City.[119] On 1 October, he scored his 205th goal for Chelsea in a 4-0 win away to Steaua Bucure?ti in the Champions League.[120] On 23 November 2013, Lampard scored his 206th and 207th goals for Chelsea against his former club West Ham in a 3-0 win.[121] Lampard moved to fourth on the all-time Premier League goal-scoring list on 2 December by beating Robbie Fowlers number of 164 goals.[122] On 22 February 2014, Lampard scored a stoppage-time winner against Everton, initially credited to John Terry but awarded to Lampard by the Dubious Goals Committee,[123] keeping Chelsea in first place.[124] On 2 April, he played his 100th Champions League match, losing 3-1 to Paris Saint-Germain.[125] On 5 April 2014, Lampard scored 250th goal of his club career in a 3-0 win against Stoke.[126]

On 23 May 2014, Lampard was included on the list of players released by Chelsea.[16][17] Lampard, however, revealed that any contract talks with Chelsea would be decided after the 2014 World Cup, with a statement saying "he will meet with Chelsea before any consideration of a move elsewhere".[127] On 3 June 2014, Chelsea confirmed Lampard would leave the club.[128]

Manchester City

Signing and New York City controversy

On 24 July 2014, Lampard, as a free agent, signed a two-year contract with New York City FC to commence ahead of the 2015 MLS season. It was announced at a live press conference in Brooklyn that he would be joining the club, which would be entering Major League Soccer (MLS) for the 2015 season. Sporting director Claudio Reyna hailed him as "one of the greatest players in world history".[11][129] NYCFC's parent club Manchester City announced on 3 August 2014 that Lampard would join the club on a six-month deal ending in January 2015.[130] Initially reported as a loan, reports emerged on 31 December 2014 that Lampard had signed a short-term contract with the club as a free agent with his MLS contract not to start until the end of his stay in Manchester.[131][132][133] The same day, it was announced that Lampard would extend his contract with Manchester City until the end of the English season, missing the start of the 2015 MLS season[134] and it was confirmed that Lampard had never been an MLS player with his arrival date in MLS unclear.[135][136]

Lampard extending his stay in Manchester prompted an angry response from fans in New York,[137] with NYCFC being accused of dishonesty for using the player in their promotional material and MLS Commissioner Don Garber being accused of poor leadership and a lack of transparency in his handling of the affair.[138][139] On 1 January 2015, Manchester City head coach Manuel Pellegrini hinted that Lampard could extend his stay at Manchester City to a second season.[140] On 9 January, Manchester City admitted that Lampard had never signed a two-year contract with NYCFC having instead originally signed a non-binding "commitment" to join the team.[141][142][143] On the same day, Lampard confirmed his intention to begin playing for NYCFC at the end of the 2014-15 Premier League season.[144] Around 300 people asked for season ticket refunds in response to the affair, while the 2015 MLS SuperDraft started a chant of "Where's Frank Lampard?" from the crowd.[145]

2014-15

Lampard made his Manchester City debut on 13 September in a 2-2 away draw against Arsenal; he received a yellow card and was substituted at half-time for Samir Nasri.[146] He scored his first goal for the club on 21 September with a volley from inside the box, after only being on the field for seven minutes as a substitute, to level the scoreline at 1-1 in a home draw against Chelsea. This ended Chelsea's perfect winning streak in the season, but it was a goal which he did not celebrate and described as a very emotional day.[147] In Lampard's first League Cup match for City three days later, he scored the first and last goals as the side defeated Sheffield Wednesday 7-0 at home in the third round.[148] On 27 September, Lampard came on in the 71st minute, only to score another goal to make it four goals in four matches and his fourth that week.[149] He made his first Champions League appearance on 30 September in Machester City's 1-1 draw with Roma.[150] On 1 January 2015, the day after extending his stay with the club, Lampard scored the winner for City in a Premier League encounter against Sunderland.[151] On 14 March 2015, Lampard made his 600th Premier League appearance, becoming the second player to do so after Ryan Giggs, coming on as a substitute during City's 1-0 defeat to Burnley.[152] On 24 May, Lampard captained Manchester City in their final match of the season and the last of his spell with the club. He scored his 177th Premier League goal to give City the lead in an eventual 2-0 win over Southampton at the City of Manchester Stadium and was substituted for Jesús Navas in the 77th minute.[153]

New York City

On 10 January 2015, Lampard signed a pre-contract to play for New York City FC in MLS, beginning on 1 July.[4] Injury delayed his debut until 1 August, when he came on as a 69th-minute substitute for Andrew Jacobson in a 2-3 defeat to the Montreal Impact at Yankee Stadium.[154] In July, Lampard was one of the 22 players to be named to the 2015 MLS All-Star Game roster.[155] On 16 September, he scored his first MLS goal as his team beat Toronto FC 2-0 to end a three-game losing streak.[156] Eleven days later, Lampard scored the opening goal in a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 29th minute of play; he was later also fouled in the area in the final minute of stoppage time, which allowed David Villa to convert the match-winning goal from the resulting penalty.[157] On 2 October, he scored New York City FC's fastest ever goal in MLS history in a 2-1 away defeat to D.C. United.[158] The team finished its debut season outside a place for the MLS Cup Playoffs, which drew criticism from some in the media, who expected more from the club's trio of designated players composed of former Champions League winners Lampard, David Villa and Andrea Pirlo.[159][160][161]

Having missed the beginning of the season with a calf injury, Lampard made his first appearance in 2016 on 22 May in the New York derby, playing the final 15 minutes; New York City lost the game 7-0, while Lampard was jeered by his side's own fans.[162] However, he then scored in his first start of the season against Philadelphia Union on 18 June and was cheered by the New York fans once again.[163] In his second start, he managed to make it back-to-back goals against Seattle Sounders on 20 June.[164] Frank then gave City 3 points by scoring the only goal in a match against New England Revolution on 7 July, resulting in him being named MLS Player of the Week.[165] His fourth goal in five matches came against Sporting Kansas City in a 3-1 defeat on 11 July.[166] Lampard then took his goal tally for the season to five with the third goal in a 3-1 victory over the Montreal Impact on 17 July.[167] On 31 July 2016, Lampard became the first New York City player to score a hat-trick, achieving this feat in a 5-1 win over the Colorado Rapids.[168] Lampard finished his second MLS season with the club with 13 goals and 3 assists in 19 appearances,[169] as New York City FC finished in second place in the Eastern Conference, and qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs for the first time ever, clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference semi-final.[170] He featured in both legs of the Eastern Conference semi-final against Toronto FC, as New York were eliminated from the Playoffs 7-0 on aggregate.[171] On 14 November 2016, New York City FC announced that Lampard would leave as soon as his contract expired.[172]

Retirement

Lampard announced his retirement on 2 February 2017 after turning down several offers, and revealed that he would look to obtain his coaching qualifications after retiring.[173][174]

International career

Lampard was capped by England at youth level before making his under-21 debut on 13 November 1997 in a match against Greece.[1][175] He played for the under-21 side from November 1997 to June 2000, and scored nine goals in 19 appearances, a mark bettered only by Alan Shearer and Francis Jeffers.[175][176] He was capped once by England B, playing in a 2-1 home defeat to Chile on 10 February 1998.[177]

Lampard earned his first cap for England on 10 October 1999 in a 2-1 friendly win over Belgium, and scored his first goal on 20 August 2003 in a 3-1 win over Croatia. Lampard became only the eighth English player to earn his 100th England cap, doing so in a World Cup qualifier against Ukraine, on 10 September 2013.

Euro 2004

He was bypassed for Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup, and had to wait until Euro 2004 to participate in his first international competition. England reached the quarter-finals with Lampard netting three goals in four matches. He scored against France and Croatia in the group stages, and in the quarter-final he equalised for England in the 112th minute against Portugal, bringing the scoreline to 2-2 but England lost on penalties. He was named in the team of the tournament by UEFA.[178]

Post Euro 2004

He became a regular in the squad following the retirement of Paul Scholes, and was voted England Player of the Year by fans in 2004 and 2005.[179] He was England's top-scorer in their 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign with 5 goals. He scored two crucial goals in the qualifiers, the first against Austria in a 1-0 win, and the second, the winning goal against Poland.[180][181]

2007-09

He scored in a 2-1 loss to Germany in a friendly at the new Wembley in 2007.[184] He was booed by England supporters while coming on as a second-half substitute during England's Euro 2008 qualifying match against Estonia on 13 October 2007,[185] and finished with one goal (in a 3-2 loss to Croatia on 21 November) as England failed to qualify for the tournament. He scored his first international goal in two years in a 4-0 win over Slovakia in March 2009, and also created another for Wayne Rooney. Lampard's goal was the 500th England goal scored at Wembley.[186] On 9 September 2009, Lampard struck twice in England's 5-1 win against Croatia which secured their place at 2010 World Cup.[187]

2010 World Cup

In the round-of-16 match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup against rivals Germany, Lampard had a first-half shot at goal that bounced off the crossbar and from TV replays was clearly seen to cross the goal line. If counted, it would have tied the game 2-2. However, neither the referee nor the linesman saw it as a goal, and play was continued. In the second-half, Lampard hit the cross-bar again, with a 30-yard free-kick. The final score was a 4-1 win for Germany, eliminating England from the tournament.[188]

As England exited the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Lampard had already achieved the record of having made 37 shots on goal without scoring in a World Cup tournament, more than any other player since 1966.[189]

Euro 2012

On 8 February 2011, it was announced that Lampard would captain the national team against Denmark in a friendly played the next day after both Rio Ferdinand and Steven Gerrard were absent through injury.[190] In the Euro 2012 qualifiers, Lampard netted two goals for England, both penalties. The first against Wales in a 2-0 win, and the latter vs Switzerland in a 2-2 draw, making Lampard England's most prolific penalty taker ever.[191][192] In November 2011, Lampard captained England to a 1-0 friendly victory over current World Champions Spain, a game in which he scored the only goal.[193] On 31 May 2012, he was ruled out of the Euro 2012 due to a thigh injury. He was subsequently replaced by Jordan Henderson.[]

On 14 August 2012, manager Roy Hodgson announced that Lampard would captain the Three Lions in their upcoming friendly against Italy the following day, which England won 2-1.[194]

2014 World Cup qualification

Lampard started England's first game in qualification and starred as England thrashed Moldova 5-0, with Lampard scoring his 24th and 25th England goals. His first goal was England's 100th ever penalty and his second was a header from a cross from Glen Johnson, after Steven Gerrard was substituted he captained the side.[195]

Lampard scored his 26th international goal from the penalty spot against Ukraine equalling the number of goals scored by Bryan Robson.[196]

2014 World Cup

On 12 May 2014, Lampard was named in the 23-man England squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup[198] and a week later he was named vice-captain.[199] On 24 June, for the last game of the group stage, Lampard captained his England side to draw with Costa Rica 0-0.[200]

Retirement

On 26 August 2014, Lampard announced that he had retired from international football. He earned 106 caps, scoring 29 goals.[201][202]

Style of play

Regarded by some pundits, managers, and teammates as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation,[203] Lampard was an all-round and versatile box-to-box player, who was capable of playing anywhere in midfield; throughout his career he was deployed as a central midfielder, as an attacking midfielder, as a defensive midfielder, and even as a supporting striker on occasion.[204] A hard-working player, with notable stamina and an ability to read the game,[204] Lampard was also capable of functioning creatively and starting attacking plays after winning back possession, due to his technique, vision, and passing range.[205] In addition to his creative and defensive midfield roles, Lampard also possessed a keen eye for goal, due to his ability to make attacking runs into the area, or produce accurate and powerful shots from distance.[205] These attributes enabled him to maintain a prolific goalscoring record throughout his career, despite his deep playing position.[205] Lampard was also an accurate set-piece and penalty kick taker.[206][207]

In 2000, Lampard, Rio Ferdinand and Kieron Dyer appeared on a sex video that was filmed at the holiday resort of Ayia Napa in Cyprus. Channel 4 aired a brief clip as part of their 2004 documentary Sex, Footballers and Videotape, claiming it was used to "remind the viewer that this is based on real life."[210] On 23 September 2001, Lampard, along with three other Chelsea players was fined two weeks wages by the club for his behaviour whilst on a drinking binge on 12 September. Lampard and the others had abused American tourists at a Heathrow hotel, just 24 hours after the 11 September attacks. A hotel manager stated "they were utterly disgusting. They just didn't seem to care about what had happened".[211]

It was reported by Mensa in 2009 that Lampard showed an unusually high IQ score during neurological research carried out by the Chelsea doctor, Bryan English. English stated that "Frank Lampard scored one of the highest set of marks ever recorded by the company doing the tests".[212]

Lampard published his autobiography, Totally Frank, in 2006. He has written a series of children's novels about a footballer, Frankie, and his adventures with his magic football.[216]

Relationships

Lampard lives in Surrey and London. He has two daughters with his former fiancée, Spanish model Elen Rivas, Luna (born 22 August 2005) and Isla (born 20 May 2007).[217] Since October 2009, Lampard has been in a relationship with presenter Christine Bleakley. On 15 June 2011, their engagement was announced by Lampard's agent.[218] The couple married on 20 December 2015.[219]

On 24 April 2009, Lampard was involved in a radio confrontation with James O'Brien on the London radio station LBC 97.3.[220] Newspapers had reported that following Lampard's split from Rivas their children were living with her in a small flat while Lampard had converted their family home into a bachelor pad. Lampard phoned in, objecting to criticism and asserting that he had fought "tooth and nail" to keep his family together.[221]